1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a sheet holding structure for holding a sheet-shaped object such as fabric and paper and particularly to a sheet holding structure mounted to a cleaning head portion of a cleaner to hold the sheet in order to wipe a floor surface.
2. Description of the Background Art
A cleaner such as a mop to which a sheet of woven or nonwoven fabric is mounted and held is conventionally known. There is a structure for holding a sheet on the cleaner as described in International Publication No. WO01/12052 (Japanese Patent No. 3519394), for example.
The cleaner having a sheet holding structure portion and described in the foregoing publication includes a handle, a cleaning head mounted to the handle, and at least one holding structure portion disposed on the cleaning head to hold a sheet by receiving a sheet at a periphery of the cleaning head. The holding structure portion is made of a flexible material and includes a base triangular portion having an apex and a plurality of pie-shaped portions with their apexes meeting at a common point at a distance from the apex of the base triangular portion and close to a side portion of the base triangular portion. Respective two side portions of the base triangular portion and the pie-shaped portions are defined by slits formed to pass through the flexible material. The base triangular portion and the pie-shaped portions are bent respectively to hold the sheet.
In the sheet holding structure described in the forgoing publication, however, the sheet is disadvantageously detached during use of the cleaner in some cases, and a holding force for fixing the sheet to the periphery of the cleaning head is insufficient. Not only in a case of the dry sheet but also in a case in which a wet sheet impregnated with a liquid for wiping dust off is fixed to the periphery of the cleaning head, a sufficient holding force cannot be obtained; therefore, the sheet is advantageously detached from the cleaning head during use of the cleaner in some cases.